Mirage 2000 fighter jet landed on Yamuna Expressway as part of developing road runways

Mirage 2000 fighter jet of Indian air force (IAF) on 21 May 2015 landed successfully on Yamuna Expressway as part of developing road runaway for emergency landing.

It's a kind of first for military aviation in India. IAF conducted the successful trial run of landing on Yamuna Expressway near Mathura under the plan of use of national highways in emergency situations.

The operations were conducted with active support from the government of Uttar Pradesh, Yamuna Expressway Authority, toll authorities of JP Infratech and the civil police.

This sucessful trial run gives a push to the planning of authorities to convert the upcoming Agra-Lucknow Expressway, which is the longest greenfield expressway in the country, as India's first road runway. For this, Uttar Pradesh government had given a green signal on 11 May 2015.

The 308km Agra-Lucknow expressway is expected to cost 13000 crore rupees. It will pass through Firozabad, Shikohabad, Mainpuri, Etawah, Kannauj and Mohanlalganj.

Pre-requisite for road runway

For the road runway, the particular stretch of the road should be straight, level, located at a non-undulating round without any slope and also free of waterlogging and free of floods.

The road runway segment will not have electricity poles, masts or mobile phone towers. There will be portable ground lighting systems that can be quickly placed on the roadsides to guide aircraft during landings.

China, Pakistan, Sweden, Germany and Singapore are among the countries that have road runways. Road runways assume importance if airbases are crippled during hostile situations.

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